Parcel lockers which are today commonly used worldwide for dropping-off, storing and picking up various kinds of shipments such as packages and objects, generally prove convenient for most users.
For example EP 2 891 433 describes a system for securely controlling deposition and retrieval of shipments, that comprises a managing distribution centre, at least one electronic locker unit connected to the managing distribution centre through a communication network, and having several lockable compartments of different sizes, wherein said at least one electronic locker unit comprises a weighing shipment module located inside each compartment. The acts of the corresponding method executed at the electronic locker unit consist in:                entering an identification code of the shipment and retrieving specific information associated with the shipment;        opening a compartment of the electronic locker unit;        depositing the shipment inside the compartment;        weighing the shipment with a weighing module located inside the compartment and comparing in a processing module the measured weight with the weight included within the specific information; and        locking the compartment containing the shipment and logging the compartment as being filled and locked only upon close match and validation of the comparison of the weight.        
U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,386 describes a locker unit with a plurality of lockers provided with doors equipped with a locking device. The locking device consists of a mechanical lock and an auxiliary lock having an electric drive for said device. The locking device comprises a rest position which blocks the access to the mechanical lock and/or its movement, and an opening position which frees said access and/or said movement. It is thus simply achieved that the energy expenditure for activation of the closing device of the auxiliary lock can be kept very low, since the lock does not have to perform a “blocking function”. In addition, it is made possible, in surprisingly simple manner, for any locker unit with any lock system to be simply equipped with the new auxiliary lock.
Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,677 relates to a lock which can be released on an electrically automated basis, in particular for use with locker-type storage systems. A lock element which can be introduced into the lock is provided, which lock element can be blocked in the lock and thus holds a locker door fixedly connected to the lock element in the closed position. A lock pawl which can be displaced in rotation to a limited degree is also provided, which engages with the lock element, either directly or indirectly via at least one displaceably mounted coupling element. The key feature of this is that the portion of a point of force transmission for the locking force transmitted to the lock pawl is designed so that a positively-induced and abutment-induced transmission of forces and pulses from the lock element or from a coupling element optionally mounted in between to the lock pawl is directed almost exclusively radially to its pivot axis and any tangential force or impulse components which occur can be transmitted almost exclusively due to frictional forces at the point of force transmission. This results in increased protection again the effects of tampering from outside.
Though all the previous locker systems generally prove satisfactory, improvements in the delivery process of items, packages, and transportable goods in general always remain a recurrent topic of close attention. Enhancing the quality of security regarding the delivery process therefore continues to be highly desirable.
As the retrieval operation entails a true public safety risk because an unauthorized or hazardous object could still be deposited in the lockable compartment during this operation of removal for committing a malevolent act, this being a major obstacle to the development of lockable storage devices in public areas. However, mostly due to cost impact issues, there is in general no automatic closure of the locker's doors, even if the lockable compartments comprise a weighing or sensing module. Even if a prompt message could incite the user to close the door upon withdrawal of the parcel, there still remains a significant number of cases in which the doors are left unlocked, totally open or insufficiently closed.
It is therefore desirable to provide a locker system which solves the above secure closing problem.